ADL Condemns New Rules on Refugee Resettlement

New York, NY, October 25, 2017 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today condemned the Trump administration’s temporary ban on refugee resettlement for people from certain countries and more stringent refugee vetting processes. This new, 90-day ban on refugee resettlement from 11 countries could block approximately half of the refugees seeking to come to the United States.

Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO, issued the following statement:

In New York harbor, we do not proudly proclaim, ‘Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled subset of applicants who can prove in advance and under heartbreaking conditions that their resettlement in the U.S. would be in the national interest.’

These latest rules on refugee resettlement are unnecessary and will not make the refugee resettlement process more secure. Rather, they will mean a huge number of people fleeing for their lives will not find refuge here - not because they pose any threat, but simply because they will be caught in endless red tape. The United States already had high hurdles for those seeking to enter, and refugee status was already the most difficult way to enter the country. The existing vetting process worked.

In addition, the temporary ban on all refugees from 11 countries, most notably including Syria, is morally reprehensible. In effect, it is another “Refugee Ban.” Coupled with the administration’s recent decision to drop the cap on refugees to 45,000 - the lowest number since the Refugee Act became law in 1980 - this is a moral failure. The world is facing the worst refugee crisis since World War II. We can and must do more to welcome refugees desperately seeking safety.

ADL is the world’s leading anti-hate organization. Founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of anti-Semitism and bigotry, its timeless mission is to protect the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all. Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of hate with the same vigor and passion. A global leader in exposing extremism, delivering anti-bias education, and fighting hate online, ADL is the first call when acts of anti-Semitism occur. ADL’s ultimate goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination or hate.